An Archaeological Survey for the Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme, Salachan Glen, Duror, Highland
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An Archaeological Survey for the Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme, Salachan Glen, Duror, Highland. For Hydroplan UK. June 2013. Jennifer G. Robertson MA PhD FSA Scot. MIFA Garden Cottage, Ardtornish Estate, Morvern, By Oban, Argyll, PA80 5UZ. Tel. 01967 421234. E-Mail [email protected] Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme 1. Summary. Twelve archaeological sites were recorded in a desk-based and walkover survey at the Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme, Bealach, Salachan Glen, Duror, Highland. All are associated with post-medieval, agricultural activities, including remnants of the farm at Bealach, such as earthen dykes, Sites 3, 5 and 8, and parcels of rig and furrow, Sites 7, 9 and 10. Stone walls, Sites 1, 6 and 11, may represent 19th century land management and Site 4 seems to be a fragment of the old Bealach – Glenstockdale track. No scheduled ancient monuments or listed buildings were recorded in the survey area or its vicinity, The archaeological sites with grid references, impact assessments and mitigations are summarized in Table 1 in Appendix A. 2. Introduction. An archaeological survey was undertaken on behalf of Hydroplan UK at Lochan Blar, Salachan Glen, Duror, Highland (OS 1:10.000 Sheet NM95SE), prior to the proposed construction of a hydro scheme. (See Fig 1: Location Map) The survey area is situated along the Eas nan Richagan burn, a tributary of the Salachan Burn, which flows into Loch Linnhe at Dalnatrat, to the SW of Keil and Duror. Fig. 1: Location Map showing survey area, from OS Landranger 49 Oban & East Mull. (© Crown Copyright 2000. All Rights Reserved. Licence Number 10044103) J.G.Robertson. Ardtornish. June 2013. 1 Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme The proposed hydro scheme consists of: (See Fig. 2) a) An Intake at the outflow from Lochan Blar nan Lochan at NM 97627 50374 b) A buried pipeline along the left bank of Eas nan Richagan burn from the intake to one of two power house sites. Alternative routes of the pipe are included along two short sections: • a southwestward loop from the intake to the forestry edge • a short section along the right bank of Eas nan Richagan. c) A powerhouse on the SW bank of Salachan Burn at either: • NM 98133 52377 (PH 1) • NM 98283 52230 (PH 1a approx.) Access will be by an existing track from the A828 road to Bealach Farmhouse and a forestry track up to NM 98030 516005. Access from here to the top of the scheme will be by a new track alongside the pipeline. The area for archaeological survey consists of a narrow strip of ground, 50m either side of the proposed pipelines, an area 50m in diameter around the intakes and 100m in diameter around the powerhouse. The area is situated on a bed of Dalradian metamorphic rocks, including quartzite, grit, slate and phyllite, and rises from a height of 60m OD to 260m. The route of the proposed pipeline runs mostly through the coniferous plantation of Bealach Forest, apart from the NE end. The latter consists of agricultural land, some of which was cultivated at one time, but is now grazed by sheep and cattle. 3. Working Methods. The survey consisted of a combination of a desk-based assessment and a rapid walkover survey. 3.1. Desk-based Assessment. The desk-based assessment consisted of the consultation of a variety of sources: 3.1.1. Sites and Monuments Registers. a) The National Monuments Record of Scotland (NMRS), held by RCAHMS, John Sinclair House, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh EH8 9NX, available on www.rcahms.gov.uk b) The Historic Environment Record (HER), held by the Highland Council Archaeology Unit, Planning and Development Service, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX, available on www.ambaile.org One site had previously been recorded within the survey area: 1. Bealach Forest Archaeological Survey centred on NM 99 52 NMRS Ref. NM95SE.12 HER Ref. MHG 49966 The present survey area lies within the boundary of this 2005 survey, although no sites were recorded within the present survey area. (See below, Section 3.1.6) However, one site, an area of cultivated ground, is close to the access road and is included in the present survey as Site 12. J.G.Robertson. Ardtornish. June 2013. 2 Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme A further two sites have been recorded within the vicinity: 2. Keil Hut Circle at NM 9820 5312 NMRS Ref. NM95SE.6.01 HER Ref. MHG 582 A small circular structure 2.8m in diameter may be the remains of a roundhouse. 3. Keil Hill Buildings, Cairns, Quarry, Rig and Furrow at NM 9710 5332 NMRS Ref. NM95SE.6 HER Ref. MHG 14424 Field System MHG 14425 Field System MHG 24449 building MHG 44567 Rig and Furrow MHG 44568 Quarry MHG 44566 Cairn 3.1.2. Maps. a) William Roy’s Map of Scotland, 1747-55. (Scran at RCAHMS) b) George Langlands: This map of Argyllshire, 1801. (Nat. Lib. Scot.) c) John Thomson: Southern part of Argyllshire, 1820 in Atlas of Scotland, 1832. (Nat. Lib. Scot.) d) OS 1st Ed. 6” Map Sheets: Argyllshire xliii and lvii, surveyed 1871, publ. 1876 and 1875 respectively. e) OS 2nd Ed. 6” map: Argyll and Bute Sheets xliii SW & SE and lvii NE, revised 1897, publ. 1900. f) OS 1” Popular Edition: Sheet 54 Loch Etive and Glencoe, 1947. g) OS 1:10,000 Sheet NM95SE, 1977. h) OS Explorer 376, Oban & North Lorn, 1:25,000, 2007. 3.1.3. Archives. National Archives of Scotland (NAS) – catalogue on www.nas.gov.uk 3.1.4. Aerial Photographs. Aerial photographs were consulted in the RCAHMS Air Photo Unit: a) 106G/UK/0101; Date 19.05.1946; Scale 1:10,800; Frames 3064-3068, 4061-4064. Only one series of photographs at a large enough scale was available, though these had been taken prior to the plantation of the Bealach forest, so were useful for identifying sites now covered in forestry (though few sites were visible). 3.1.5. Published Sources. Appin Historical Society: Appin and District, nd. Donaldson, MEM.: Wanderings in the Western Highlands and Islands, 1923 Fairweather, Barbara: Lismore, Duror & Strath of Appin: A Short History, 1976 Gillies, H. Cameron: The Place-Names of Argyll, 1906. McGregor, Rev. Gregor: “United Parishes of Lismore and Appin” in The New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol 7, 223- 256, 1841. McGrigor, Mary: Grass Will not Grow on My Grave: The Story of the Appin Murder, 2002. MacKie, Euan W.: Lismore and Appin: An Archaeological and Historical Guide, 1993 McNicol, Rev. Donald: “United Parishes of Lismore and Appin” in The (Old) Statistical Account of Scotland, vol 1, 482-502, 1791-99. RCAHMS: Argyll Volume 2: Lorn, 1974, HMSO. J.G.Robertson. Ardtornish. June 2013. 3 Lochan Blar Hydro Scheme 3.1.6. Previous Archaeological Surveys. Two surveys have been carried out in the vicinity of the survey area in recent years. a) J. Wordsworth: Keil Hill – “Archaeological survey in advance of afforestation”, unpublished report – copy held in NMRS MS/626/8. In 1992, Jonathon Wordsworth undertook an archaeological survey of Keil Hill, prior to afforestation. This survey concentrated on the area to the NE of Salachan Glen and recorded a possible prehistoric hut circle, as well as an extensive agricultural landscape, dating to at least the 18th century. b) Stuart Farrell: Report of Archaeological Desktop & Walkover Survey Bealach Forest, Lochaber, Highland, June 2005, available on www.ambaile.org.uk In 2005 Stuart Farrell undertook a desk-top and walkover survey of the Bealach Forest, which includes all of the survey area. Fourteen sites were recorded, all associated with late 18th and 19th century agricultural landscape, but none was in the present survey area. The sites included Salachan and Achvlair farmsteads on the NE side of Salachan Glen, sheepfolds and cultivations rigs. The nearest to the present survey area were areas of cultivation on the SW side of the glen, SW of Dalnatrat. (Farrell, 2005, Site 14) These are centred on: • NM 96936 52984 • NM 96889 53052 • NM 96866 53081 • NM 96724 52805 • NM 96897 52947 • NM 9701152960 The last area is not well-defined but possibly extends as far as the access road and is thus included in the present survey as Site 12. 3.2. Fieldwork. The desk-based research was followed by a rapid walkover survey. This was undertaken by the writer on 22nd and 29th May 2013. The conditions for archaeological survey were exceptionally good. The weather was dry and sunny and the preceding prolonged cold, dry spell precluded any vegetation growth. The entire survey area was walked and all archaeological sites were photographed, recorded with a GPS receiver and plotted on a map. Most of the survey area lies within the Bealach forest plantation and the archaeological survey was hampered by the effects of various forestry operations. Clearfell in some areas meant that the surface here was largely masked by brash and any small archaeological features would be difficult to identify. These were on the West side of the pipeline route from the North edge of the plantation to the forestry road bridge over the Eas nan Richagan and on both sides of the eastern loop from the there to NM 97932 51256. The western loop from the forestry road bridge to NM 97898 51200 runs through relatively mature trees, though survey was hampered by some windblow. However, much of the pipe route (from NM 97932 51256 to 97384 50579) follows alongside a grassy track (Site 2) within the plantation, with mostly open deciduous woodland on the SE side and mature conifers to the NW so that access and visibility for archaeological survey were good, though ploughing may have damaged any sites.